Tag: #MGbooks

I believe that you can’t learn to write good books without reading good books. So, I’ve been working my way through the Newberry award list. Recently I read the 2009 Newberry winner, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and it was the highlight of my summer reading. The story starts with a …

Children won’t ever think of the tooth fairy the same way again! David Walliams has created a creature so vile, so horrible, it will send children to their beds to shiver and LAUGH hysterically. Yes, that’s right. Demon Dentist is a perfect blend of horror and humor that runs circles …

I guarantee The Door by the Staircase will make you hungry for two things: Russian food and good old-fashioned fairy tales. The first is an odd thing to say about a book about Baba Yaga, the Russian witch who eats children, but it’s true. Our heroine Mary is always eating …

Paul Griffin’s newest middle grade novel, When Friendship Followed Me Home, is a beautiful book. By turns funny, sad, sweet, and thoughtful, it surprised me over and over. The story follows former foster child Ben Coffin, a Coney Island kid who’s used to getting picked on and who prefers hanging …

Extraordinary Sam & The Adventurer’s Guild is a fun, action-packed novel that’s a great summertime read for middle graders. We caught up with Kevin and asked him about his enthusiasm for adventure stories. Middle Grade Mafia: Have you found that the book is most popular with a certain group of readers? Kevin Springer: …

Lisa Lewis Tyre’s debut middle grade novel Last in a Long Line of Rebels launched in September, 2015 with starred reviews. I asked her about her launch experience as well as what happens after the launch. MGM: So, now that you’ve experienced the book launch, was there anything unexpected or would do differently for your …

I am always on the lookout for resource books that can help me find that right word or phrase that will convey the exact tone in a scene. In the past, I have shared a few of my favorites, but last week I discovered a new one to sit on …

I always consider it a bonus when a sequel is as good as the original. But a sequel that is better than the original is a rare treat. SERAFINA AND THE TWISTED STAFF is that rare treat. In the first book, Serafina and the Black Cloak, we met Serafina who …

Congratulations on another book birthday for our Mafia friend, Tricia Springstubb. Her latest MG novel, Every Single Second, (Blazer & Bray, HarperCollins) launches today. “Every Single Second” is the story of two girls whose friendship has dwindled but whose ties remain deep. When one of their brothers is involved in a …

There are witches in eleven-year-old Rupert’s modern world, real witches with cauldrons and spells. They are all dangerous, according to his mother. She warns him to stay away, so of course, he ignores her. What else is the poor boy to do? He is desperate for an adventure to take …